CONVICTED (2024) | Toni Leigh Rowland, born 22 August 1997, of Dundas Way, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9JR – left an 11-month-old dog to starve in a filthy cage.
Northumbria Police found Rowland’s dog- an American bulldog called Nala – in a urine-soaked cage in a bedroom at a property in Leeming Gardens. Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, on August 27, 2023, and rushed her to a veterinary practice
The puppy was so weak she couldn’t stand for longer than half a minute without falling over. The vet gave her a body condition score of just one out of nine and estimated she had been suffering from hunger for weeks if not months.
The RSPCA was contacted and an investigation started.
In written evidence to the court, Inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws, who saw Nala at the vets, said: “She was desperately skinny and I was able to see every bone in her body.
“Her rib cage was visibly protruding from her body and I could count the bones along her spine. Her legs and back end were stained yellow with a strong smell of urine and she was unable to stand for longer than around 30 seconds or so without falling to the ground.
“I could see pressure sores on the pads of her feet and on her elbows. She was friendly despite being visibly very weak.”
The court heard that the team at Vets Now ran blood tests and instigated a feeding plan, aimed at preventing refeeding syndrome, which can be fatal.
Nala was cared for by a veterinary nurse from the practice before being transferred to the RSPCA rehoming centre for ongoing care in November 2023.
In court Nala’s owner, Rowland, a single mother whose two children have apparently been taken into care, admitted to two animal welfare offences.
Magistrates were told Rowland was suffering from “mental health problems” at the time.
When Nala arrived at the RSPCA Felledge Animal and Equine Centre in Chester-le-Street, she would urinate on the floor when staff called her name, so they stopped using it. Thankfully, there has been a happy ending for Nala, who has since been renamed Penny and rehomed with Beth Atkinson, who described her as “my world”.
Nala, who was renamed Penny, has been adopted by a woman who describes her as “my world”
Inspector Keogh-Laws praised Northumbria Police and vets for their support in the case, adding: “Without a doubt she was the thinnest dog I have ever seen alive. She couldn’t stand unaided at the vets for more than 30 seconds and was quite literally wasting away in a filthy cage.
“She was a very poorly dog when she first arrived at Vets Now in Gateshead and the team there were instrumental in her recovery. I think we were all hoping for the best but possibly fearing the worst, but they did a wonderful job. To see Penny now in her new home, transformed and living her best life with Beth, is just incredible.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 days of “rehabilitation” and 200 hours of unpaid work. FIVE-year disqualification order (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | John Cameron Lindop, born 20 March 2000, of 7 Albion Hill, Epworth, Doncaster DN9 1HU* but with family links to Gainsborough, and Lucy Elizabeth Melrose, born 20 June 2000, of Hawthorne Road, Ferryhill DL17 9DP but originally from Gateshead – killed and burned a puppy and abused other animals in a campaign of horrific cruelty.
John Lindop and Lucy Melrose were convicted of a litany of cruelty offences against numerous animals including three dogs, one of whom was sadistically killed by one or both defendants, a chicken and a Shetland pony
John Lindop and Lucy Melrose committed a series of sickening offences against defenceless animals. These included killing a puppy and burning the remains, beating a second dog, riding a small lame pony, and setting a dog on a chicken while filming the carnage.
At the time the pair lived together in a flat in Fifth Street, Horden, County Durham.
It was said in court that the pair were in a tempestuous relationship and took out their frustrations on their pets.
Lurcher Max, who was described as subdued and withdrawn, had suffered injuries to his abdomen. He required treatment by the PDSA for muscular damage and other injuries
They appeared at Durham Crown Court on Friday 16 February 2024 and were given suspended prison sentences.
The crimes came to light following an RSPCA investigation led by Inspector Clare Wilson, which spanned two years and involved multiple animals.
The charity was first alerted to the couple in February 2022 when a member of the public contacted the RSPCA after bringing Max, a lurcher they had recently rehomed, into the PDSA Gateshead with injuries to his abdomen, and blood in his urine.
Inspector Clare Wilson said: “Max was very subdued and withdrawn, he was hanging his head and was attached to drips when I first saw him.
“I immediately noticed that his muzzle was very swollen as was his right side near his shoulder. There was blood visible in the white of his right eye too. I was told that he had been weeing blood.
“There was bruising visible on his abdomen and sheath and there were blood marks on his legs and I saw old scars on his rear legs near his feet. His nails were not scuffed as we would expect if he had been hit by a car so the vet told me that they thought he had been beaten or kicked.”
The member of the public who brought the dog into the vets had rehomed him from Melrose and Lindop the day before and she had brought the lurcher to the vets as soon as she realised he was injured.
Tally had inflammation of an ear which should have been treated by a vet
A vet report found Max had suffered blunt force trauma injuries, brought on by physical abuse.
The report said: “Max was bleeding from both nostrils which were dripping blood. He had soft tissue swelling around his left eye and bruising on his neck. He also had visible bruising and swelling on both sides of his ribs and thighs and heavy bruising on his abdomen. The injuries suffered by Max are consistent with low energy impacts, such as kicking, being hit by fists, or thrown from a few metres down or falling down the stairs.
“Out of each of these scenarios it is my opinion that being kicked is most likely due to the placement of all his injuries. In my opinion, he has been hit or kicked to the muzzle and kicked repeatedly – possibly multiple times to his abdomen as bruising and injuries were more extensive there.”
When interviewed, Melrose claimed that Lindop had, “kicked him like a football and stamped on his head.”
It was later revealed that during the investigation, the couple had hid other dogs from the RSPCA, including a lurcher called Bambi and a German Shepherd dog called Tally.
Melrose later showed these dogs to the RSPCA’s investigating officer. Tally was underweight and her right ear was crooked and inflamed with a severe ear infection.
Durham Crown Court heard how the vet found Tally suffered due to the ear condition which would have caused irritation and pain for at least 10 days or longer.
A report stated that the person responsible for Tally had failed to seek veterinary advice for her ear condition and therefore had failed in protecting her from pain and suffering.
During the investigation, Melrose’s phone was seized and found to contain shocking videos depicting more animal welfare offences. This included Bambi, a fawn coloured lurcher, being baited and set on a chicken. Lindop claimed Melrose was responsible for this but “accepted he found it funny at the time, but did not know if the chicken had died as he had gone to the chip shop”.
A video on Melrose’s phone showed her riding a lame Shetland pony called Dinky, who was much too small for her
A series of other videos on her phone showed Melrose riding a Shetland pony called Dinky who was struggling under the weight of carrying her and was clearly lame in one leg.
Analysis of the videos by a vet revealed: “The female was far too large for both the saddle and the pony and as a result her body overhangs the back and sides of the saddle. The female is carrying a whip in her right hand and trying to force the pony to trot forwards.”
The 16-second video showed her hitting the pony with a stick 10 times.
The pony tries to avoid having to move forward and only moves forward at a trot once she has been repeatedly smacked with the whip and this is due to the fear and pain of being hit. The mouth of the pony is often open due to her discomfort and the pony is visibly lame on the right forelimb.
Text messages between Lindop and his mother were also discovered in which Lindop asks “If a dog’s been hit and nearly dead am I not in the right to finish it off so it’s not in pain or does that mean I killed it?”.
With the reply: “She killed it, you put it out its misery but you would both get done as should have been done by a vet humanely.”
Lindop then replied to his mother: “Won’t find it now like coz burnt it (sic).”
The burned remains of Welsh herder puppy Hades were found on scrubland near a railway line in Horden, County Durham
The charred remains of Hades, a 12 week old Welsh Herder puppy, were also found close to a railway line in an area of scrubland in Hordon, Peterlee, where there were burnt patches on the ground and fragments of Hades’ bones were discovered by the RSPCA.
Lindop claimed in graphic detail that Melrose had killed him whilst Melrose told investigators that Lindop had “hung him from a door until he was brain dead.”
The prosecution said they were unable to say who killed Hades but the method of his death was “sadistic” and involved him being hung from a door and killed with a hammer.
Lindop, whom it was said in court is living with his family in Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, admitted two counts each of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and permitting or failing to stop unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Melrose admitted two counts each of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, and permitting or failing to stop unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, plus one of causing an animal fight to take place by baiting a chicken with a dog.
In mitigation, the court heard how the pair had challenging backgrounds and it was felt that rehabilitation is possible, given their young age.
Philip Morley, for Lindop, said he was, “not a sophisticated man”, having had “limited education” and is thought to suffer with an undiagnosed learning difficulty.
He said despite that, he has held down a variety of jobs and, “largely kept out of trouble”.
Mr Morley said at one stage Lindop formed a relationship with Melrose which he described as “toxic” and for which there is, now, no prospect of any reconciliation.
“It was clearly an unhealthy relationship for either party and not a good environment for those animals to be kept in.
“He’s deeply sorry and ashamed for what happened.
“The relationship got on top of him and he clearly took his eye off the ball.
“Both have now moved on and he has a new life in Gainsborough, working with his step-father in roofing and window cleaning.”
Mr Morley said, ironically, Lindop has a background of looking after animals and won a number of rosettes for training dogs in his younger days,
But he added that his client does not accept responsibility for the death of Hades, for which he has shown “genuine upset and remorse.”
Aspiring Only Fans skank Melrose shows off her tacky tattoos
Katie Spence, for Melrose, said her previous employment involved working with animals, but the entire experience of what went on during her relationship with Lindop has put her off any future involvement, regardless of the punishment and bars put on her by the court.
“She is extremely remorseful for any behaviour and wishes she had dome more than she did in these circumstances (to prevent it).”
Judge Peter Armstrong also mentioned mental health issues and commented that Lindop was now in a secure relationship with a baby on the way.
He said due to their age, their immaturity, and lack of previous offences, he was “just” able to suspend the inevitable prison sentences on both defendants.
He said, given the volatile relationship the pair were involved in, “I suspect you were taking out your frustrations on these animals in your welfare.”
He said he would not try to pinpoint who was primarily responsible for, “this catalogue of most unpleasant offending.”
Speaking about the case, RSPCA Inspector Clare Wilson, said: “This has been the most challenging case of my career so far and has been extremely distressing to investigate. It is clear that many animals suffered untold pain and mental torture at the hands of these defendants and I am immensely relieved that they will not be permitted to care for animals again for a long time.”
The RSPCA said Dinky was owned by a third party and is doing better now after recovering from her mistreatment. The dogs were brought into the care of RSPCA Felledge Animal Centre in Chester-le-Street where they have now been rehomed.
Sentencing | each were given 16-month prison sentences, suspended for two years. Both will undergo 40 days of rehabilitation and Lindop was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. Both were disqualified from keeping all animals for 15 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Michael Walker, born 18 December 1966, of Cranesville, Gateshead NE9 6SP – left his dog to suffer from a painful skin condition.
Shih Tzu/Jack Russell crossbreed Gizmo was found covered in crusty skin and scabs with large areas of his body completely devoid of fur after Michael Walker failed to provide the treatment that had been prescribed for him.
Walker admitted causing Gizmo unnecessary suffering and was disqualified from keeping dogs for five years.
The court heard how RSPCA inspector Lucy Green had made a follow up visit to Walker’s house on 10 January, 2023, after officers had previously advised him to clean up his pet’s living environment and get his skin seen by a vet.
“Gizmo’s nails were very overgrown and curling under his paws and over each other,” said inspector Green. “He had a lot of fur loss from his neck down his chin, back and legs, and his skin was crusty and scabby.
“He was on the windowsill in one of the rooms so I could see him from outside of the house. His skin looked significantly worse than the previous visit. I was told he had been scratching his back on some sharp metal under the bed and maybe that was why his skin was like it was.
“I was told he had been taken to the PDSA and I was shown a bottle of almost full shampoo and a bottle of prednisolone dated 14 November 2022 with approximately ten tablets left in the bottle.
“I rang the PDSA who informed me that the only time they had seen Gizmo was on that date and the medication should have run out around Christmas.”
Walker agreed for Gizmo to be taken and seen by a vet, and he was transported to a practice in North Tyneside later that day by the RSPCA.
Gizmo had overgrown nails in addition to extensive fur loss
An examination showed he had generalised dermatitis, a fractured lower left canine and acute diarrhoea. He was also given a body condition score of 2-3 out of 9, which a vet said was likely indicative of the fact he had not been given a suitable diet for at least six months.
In his evidence to the court, the vet who examined the dog, said: “Based on my professional opinion, it is unlikely that Gizmo was provided with a suitable environment or given a suitable diet to meet his needs. It is obvious he was given little protection from pain, suffering or disease. This suffering was avoidable.”
The court heard that Walker told the inspector he “sometimes forgot” to give Gizmo his medication. He stated he didn’t know what amount to give him, and as he didn’t want to overdose the dog, he hadn’t been following the vet’s advice.
He had previously told an RSPCA officer that he had been verbally told by a vet that Gizmo’s health issues may have been caused by mites or a grass allergy.
On another occasion a veterinary appointment was cancelled as the entire household comprising Walker, his wife Lisa Walker and two adult children had reportedly been struck down with flu.
Speaking after the case, inspector Green said: “Gizmo is a really sweet natured little dog who has really come out of his shell in his foster home.
“He looks unrecognisable now, and I’m really happy that he already has a lovely new home lined up.
“This case illustrates how important it is to get timely veterinary intervention, to follow the advice you are given, and to seek help from your vet if you have concerns or your pet’s condition is not improving.”
Sentencing costs of £180 and a victim surcharge of £80. Five-year disqualification order on keeping dogs (expires September 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Mark Brown aka Mark Defty, born 14 December 1999, originally from Seaham, County Durham, but more recently of Gateshead – thrashed a petrified dog with a metal lead.
Violent dog abuser Mark Brown is better known as Mark Defty. Of no fixed abode, he has a lengthy criminal record to his name. Pic: Facebook
Brown, who has previous for domestic violence, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the brindle and white dog called Rocco after being arrested by police.
“Vicious” Staffy Rocco endured a savage beating by his previous owner, Mark Defty
A 37 second video clip showed Brown hitting Rocco repeatedly on the head and back with the end of a metal lead. The cowering dog was hit eight times in 10 seconds and flinched with every blow.
The offence took place in the vicinity of Marion Court in Gateshead, on November 3, 2022.
Thankfully Rocco had no signs of physical injury following the attack, but had been caused to suffer fear and pain.
An independent expert veterinary report stated: “His fear was likely to have been a repeated state on previous occasions when this person was with Rocco as he immediately submitted to his attacker and attempted to flee.”
Police seized Rocco and passed him into the care of the RSPCA where he remained throughout the legal proceedings.
The court heard in Brown’s defence that Rocco was “vicious” and Brown had hit him after the dog tried to attack him.
Following the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws said: “This was a vicious attack on a young defenceless animal who had been in Brown’s care.
“It is completely unacceptable to treat any animal in this way and we will always look into reports of animal cruelty and, where necessary, seek justice for that animal.”
Rocco is now looking for a new home with a loving owner.
Sentencing | 18 month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Disqualified from keeping dogs for 10 years but can contest the ban after five years (expires March 2033).
CONVICTED (2022) | Wayne Donnelly, born 31 December 1978, owner of the Bay Horse Inn, 11 Coldwell Street, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9HH – went on holiday leaving behind a dog with horrific facial injuries.
Pub owner Wayne Donnelly is banned from owning dogs for just seven years after callously leaving his loyal pet to suffer
Donnelly’s eight-year-old Akita, known as Boost, had puncture wounds on his neck and skin peeling from his face after being viciously attacked by another of his dogs.
Boost’s injuries were so severe that he couldn’t be saved
The court heard that Donnelly took Boost to an out-of-hours vet but left before the dog could be examined. He then went on holiday the next day leaving Boost in severe pain and discomfort
A concerned member of the public tipped off the RSPCA and Boost was rushed to a vet. Very sadly his injuries were so severe that he was euthanised on humane grounds.
RSPCA inspector Rachel Hurst described the stricken dog’s condition. She said: “The skin underneath the fur was severely infected and there were numerous puncture wounds around Boost’s neck, face and around his eyes,
“There was severe bruising to the inside of his upper lips on both sides and marked swelling of his muzzle. His eyelids were so swollen it was not possible to fully assess his eyes. There was infection in both ears with pus visible, and large areas of hair and skin were peeled away and sloughed from his face.”
Boost before he was attacked and abandoned. Source: Facebook
Inspector Hurst said that Donnelly’s refusal to get treatment for Boost led to severe pain, skin necrosis, and “ultimately the need to euthanise Boost.”
Pub landlord Donnelly admitted failing to provide veterinary treatment for injuries sustained by his dog
Sentencing | six-month jail term, suspended for a year; 200 hours of unpaid work; a total of £874 costs and surcharge. Banned from owning dogs for seven years (expires November 2029).
CONVICTED (2022) | Kevin Paul McCabe, born c. 1997, of Lough Court, Gateshead NE9 6RP – caught on camera kicking the dog he claimed was his “best friend”.
Unremorseful: habitual criminal Kevin McCabe, who has 48 convictions on his record, pictured outside court.
Unaware he was being filmed, career crook Kevin McCabe twice used his foot to attack the Boxer, called “Cruise”, and was seen repeatedly shouting at him as he walked down the street with a friend.
Footage played to a court showed McCabe calmly walking the dog on a lead down Clayton Street, in Newcastle city centre, before he suddenly lashed out.
CCTV operatives witnessed the attack and phoned the police, who later arrested McCabe and seized Cruise.
McCabe, who has an address at Lough Court, in Gateshead, but prefers to live on the streets, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Lillian Yanes Hellevick, prosecuting, said police were called to Clayton Street by CCTV operatives on June 7, 2022, after they’d witnessed McCabe attacking his dog.
Ms Yanes Hellevik continued: “On the CCTV, you can see the defendant walking along with a friend. The dog is on a lead. The dog is walking alongside him. The defendant twice turns and kicks the dog.
“On regular intervals, he can be seen hanging over the dog and shouting at it. The defendant claimed the dog had bitten him but there’s no suggestion on the CCTV footage that the dog had bitten the defendant. It seemed he was walking along calmly at all times.”
The court heard that it was was a “deliberate and gratuitous” kick of Cruise by McCabe, who has 48 offences on his record.
Lewis Pearson, defending, said McCabe had been “chastising” the dog after he’d bitten him, adding: “He lives on the street. His dog is an eight-month-old Boxer called Cruise – that’s his only friend. However, Cruise can be naughty and takes some controlling.”
McCabe appeared visibly upset when he was told Cruise was being permanently removed from his care and would be re-homed as part of his punishment.
Sentencing | 12-month community order. No mention of a ban. Deprivation order on Cruise.
CONVICTED (2021) | Nichole Louise Hall, born 10 July 1991, of the Caravan Park, Baltic Road, Gateshead NE10 0SB – neglected four horses and two dogs.
Gypsy Nichole Louise Hall received a 5-year ban on keeping horses but is free to have other animals.
Hall was taken to court after four horses and two dogs were found in a neglected state in a compound in Gateshead.
Three of the horses were in a poor condition and were found in stables full of droppings, without access to water.
In addition, two dogs were discovered in a small metal pen full of faeces.
An investigation was launched by the RSPCA after they received a video from a concerned member of the public which showed a black cob in poor condition with the hips, ribs and spine clearly visible on the footage.
RSPCA inspector Heidi Cleaver went to a compound at Low Heworth Lane, in Gateshead, where she was told the horse was living on February 12, 2020.
She was accompanied by two independent vets and a police officer and they found three of four horses belonging to Hall to be in poor bodily condition.
In her statement Insp Cleaver said: “All four of the horses were found without access to any water and were being kept in stables which were full of droppings. There was no clean, dry bedding for them to rest on.
“There was only a minimal amount of hay found in some of the stables and what hay they had was dirty and had been walked into the muck. The compound in general was untidy, with many hazards lying around.”
They also came across two dogs belonging to Hall at the site – a tri-coloured Jack Russell called Patsy and a pale and brindle whippet called Gracie.
Despite cruelly neglecting these two dogs, gypsy Nichole Hall was only banned from keeping horses.
Both dogs were being kept in a small open-topped metal pen, which was full of faeces, with access to a plastic kennel.
On the day of the visit the weather was freezing and there were snow showers. The dogs were found to have bedding but this was damp.
There was no food and little water available for them. The water appeared to be rainwater in dirty bowls.
The police seized the dogs under the Animal Welfare Act as their needs were not being met and handed them into RSPCA care.
All four of the horses were then individually examined by the vets.
Nancy, a black cob mare, was so thin her hip, ribs and spine were prominent and the vet said she was suffering unnecessarily.
Next was Django, a skewbald cob, who was visibly underweight with long hooves and was given a body score of two out of five.
Another skewbald cob called Jake was found to be in poor bodily condition and was give a score of 1.5 out of five.
Finally Dusty, a cob filly, was found to be in reasonable body condition and was given a score of 2.5 but the vet was of the opinion she was likely to suffer if her circumstances didn’t change and was found to have very overgrown hooves.
The horses were also seized and taken into the care of the RSPCA but Nancy was so weak she collapsed as she was led away, the court heard.
All four horses and the two dogs are now thriving with the RSPCA and it is hoped they will be rehomed soon.
Patsy and Gracie and the rescued horses have all thrived since being taken into the RSPCA’s care.
Hall pleaded guilty to four animal welfare offences when she appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.
She admitted causing unnecessary suffering to two horses by failing to investigate and address their poor condition, and not taking steps to ensure the needs of all four horses and two dogs were met.
In mitigation, Hall said she was caring for a relative at the time and that she was “spinning too many plates”.
Sentencing: 12-month community order with a requirement to carry out 15 days of rehabilitation activities and 180 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £500 costs. Five-year ban on keeping horses (expires July 2026).
CONVICTED (2020) | Amy Rutherford, born 12 January 1997, of Coltsfoot Gardens, Gateshead NE10 9RE – locked her two cats in her squalid home while she went to live with her boyfriend
Amy Rutherford was banned from keeping animals indefinitely after abandoning two cats in a freezing property for six weeks
Cats Lucy and Lola almost starved to death after their owner, Amy Rutherford, abandoned them in a dark and freezing property for six weeks.
In court, she pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and two of failing to ensure the welfare of an animal.
Abandoned cat Lucy was so thin her collar had slipped from her neck onto her hips
The court heard that the RSPCA were contacted in early September 2019 after members of the public reported seeing the “distressed” cats jumping up at the windows of Rutherford’s home.
An officer attended and left an RSPCA card, as well as putting sellotape around the hinges of the front door.
The investigator returned a number of times over the following days and saw that the tape was still intact, meaning nobody had entered or left the property.
Eventually, the police gained access on September 20.
Stewart Haywood, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said: “The conditions inside were appalling. There was a strong smell of urine and faeces and it was dark and cold.
“The light switches were not working and the rooms were covered in rubbish.”
The court heard that bin bags had been scratched at by the cats and there was no food or water in their bowls.
The prosecutor added: “The officer found Lucy. She was opening her mouth repeatedly but no sound was coming out. Her pink collar was wrapped around her hips rather than her neck.
“Her bones could be felt and her eyes were sunk.”
Lucy collapsed when she was put in a basket to the point officers thought she had died.
Lola, who was abandoned by her heartless owner Amy Rutherford
Lola, who was in a slightly better condition, was also seized and taken to a vets, where both were discovered to be emaciated and Lucy to be suffering from hypothermia.
When interviewed, Rutherford claimed she’d only ever left the pets for a couple of days and hadn’t replied to the RSPCA card because she’d been too busy with work.
John Williams, defending, said Rutherford was drinking too much at the time and suffered from secondary bipolar disorder and depression.
He added: “There’s no excuse and she accepts that. She abandoned the cats for about six weeks. She went to stay with her boyfriend as her mental health was deteriorating. She was a manager in a shop but she had to give that up as she could no longer carry on.”
District Judge Kate Meek said: “You had to move out of the house because it was uncomfortable for you because it was cold and dark, but, it’s alright for them [the cats] to suffer and not you?
“They, like any other pet animal, rely completely on you for their care and attention. When you take ownership of them, it’s effectively an agreement that you’re going to look after them.
“They’re technically no more able to do so themselves than a small, young child.”
The judge added: “I have looked at the pictures and they are quite distressing, as it is distressing to hear the particulars.
“It’s absolutely clear that this was over a prolonged period of time and both cats suffered a high degree of harm because of your lack of care and attention that you must be expected to provide any animal in your care.
“There is no justification or explanation for it.”
Sentencing: 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 250 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping pets indefinitely.
CONVICTED (2019) | Janice Clow, born 30 August 1967, of Mersey Road, Gateshead NE8 3SR – failed to treat her elderly German Shepherd’s arthritis and painful skin and eye problems
Elderly German Shepherd Rocky was riddled with fleas and suffering multiple ailments, none of which had been treated by his uncaring owner Janice Clow
Mother-of-four Janice Clow pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to causing unnecessary suffering to her German Shepherd called Rocky.
The 11-year-old dog was in such a bad state when he was taken to the vet by the RSPCA that he had to be put down.
RSPCA inspector Rachael Hurst went to Clow’s home on August 21, 2019, following a complaint about a German Shepherd with a serious skin problem.
Inspector Hurst said: “Rocky was 11 and was in a really bad way. He was shaking and itching and stood in a hunched posture.
“He’d lost almost all of the fur across his body and his skin was thickened and sore.”
Inspector Hurst took Rocky to a vet who discovered he was suffering from a chronic skin condition. Vets said he’d been in this state for at least three to six months, but they suspected he could have been suffering for years.
“Rocky had fleas and open wounds on his body,” Inspector Hurst added.
“He had severe ear infections, an ulcerated bleeding mass on one paw, and two healed corneal ulcers in one eye.
“He was extremely itchy and uncomfortable.”
The vet found he was struggling particularly on his back legs and that he’d likely been suffering from stiffness and pain caused by his arthritis for six months to a year.
Rocky also had severely overgrown nails and a painful eye condition.
“The vet said the extent of his skin condition and severity of his arthritis, which had gone untreated for months, possibly years, had caused ‘irreversible damage’ and sadly Rocky had to be put to sleep,” Inspector Hurst added.
In court, Clow said she’d tried her best to help Rocky and had sought advice from the internet but that it had not been enough to help him. The court heard that she was remorseful.
Sentencing | 16 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months; 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days; 150 hours of unpaid work; ordered to pay £515 in costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping all animals for 10 years (expires December 2029).
CONVICTED (2016) | Avril Scott, born 26 October 1968, of Edgeware Road, Gateshead NE8 3UU – neglected elderly mongrel, left him to suffer ear infection; Benji very sadly put to sleep
Avril Scott and Benji, the elderly victim of her neglect
Former careworker Scott, who is originally from Houghton-le-Spring, Co Durham, failed to take Benji to the vet, despite him suffering an horrific ear infection for weeks.
The dog’s ear had swollen to more than twice its normal size but Scott denied noticing anything was wrong until the day before the RSPCA paid her a visit in January.
The court heard Scott still failed to seek veterinary advice, instead going on a night out.
RSPCA prosecutor Denise Jackman said: “The animal was euthanised three days later.”
She added that this was not purely down to the ear condition, but because the dog was elderly and also had Cushings disease.
Mrs Jackman said a report from an expert said Benji’s ear must have been bad for two to three weeks.
She told Scott: “If you were a hands-on owner, the dog would have yelped, because it would have been in significant pain”,
Sentence: total of £640 fines, costs and surcharges; disqualified from keeping animals, except her two pet goldfish, for three years (ban expired 2019).
